Carol Thurston Movies

In this western adventure set in a Mexican border town, two prisoners Foster and Pickett (Audie Murphy and Charles Drake), who are chained to a stake, somehow escape with other prisoners. They are led by cruel outlaw Lavalle (Harold J. Stone) who steals $12,000 in securities. Later the two fugitives try to steal the securities from the gang-leader. Unfortunately, they are caught by Lavalle. He holds Foster hostage and sends Pickett to town to cash the securities. The fugitive gives the resulting loot to his ex-girlfriend Estelle (Kathleen Crowley), and returns with nothing. The enraged Lavalle then lets Foster go to get the money. He meets the newly wealthy dance-hall girl who explains that Pickett gave her the money to make up for his losing her life savings gambling. She then grudgingly hands Foster the money. But as he returns to the outlaw lair, he is unaware that Estelle pursues him. Unfortunately, Lavalle sees her, and in the ensuing scuffle Pickett dies trying to protect Foster and the girl. Later the two flee with the angry Lavalle in hot pursuit. In the end, fugitive Foster kills the gang leader. He and Estelle then settle down and lead a peaceful life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Mr. and Mrs. Avery (Carol Hill and James Gavin) have been threatened with death by Mexican outlaw Manuel Garcia (Peter Coe). Asked to protect the Averys, Paladin (Richard Boone) discovers that they have adopted Garcia's son--and he wants the boy back at any cost. In the climax, the fate of everyone concerned is determined by the child's tormented biological mother Nita (Carol Thurston). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Paladin (Richard Boone) intervenes when he witnesses a gang of toughs harrassing Joseph Whitehouse (Anthony Caruso), a missionary-educated Cherokee who owns a thriving cattle ranch. Investigating the situation, Paladin learns that Whitehorse and his wife Martha (Carol Thurston) have been targeted for persecution by Indian-hating rancer Clyde McNally (Leo Gordon), who claims that the Cherokee couple's cattle are spreading disease. As the story progresses, it appears that Paladin has opted to side with McNally against the Whitehorses--but as often happens in this series, appearances can be deceiving! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this north-western set in the Yukon, a Mountie must investigate the violent deaths of three mail carriers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Cashing in on the popularity of such pro-Native American films as Broken Arrow, Columbia's resident quickiemeister Sam Katzman came up with Conquest of Cochise. John Hodiak plays the eponymous Apache leader, who at the beginning of the film is seen conducting raids on the U.S.-Mexican border in the company of the Comanches. Eventually realizing that the whites are better armed and equipped than the Indians, Cochise wants to put an end to the raids and smoke the peace pipe, but the Comanches don't see things his way. In films of this nature, there is usually a foredoomed love affair between a white man and an Indian girl. This time, however, Cochise falls in love with Mexican aristocrat Consuelo de Cordova (Joy Page), whom he holds hostage while U.S. cavalry officer Burke (Robert Stack) searches for the killer of Cochise's Indian bride. Director William Castle does a nice job matching stock footage with his newly-shot scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sterling Hayden and Forrest Tucker, two of Hollywood's most rugged leading men, head the cast of Paramount's Flaming Feather. Rancher Tex McCloud (Hayden) and cavalry lieutenant Tom Blaine (Tucker) despise each other at first sight. Even so, McCloud and Blaine are forced to work together to seek out and capture an elusive outlaw named Lucky Lee (Victor Jory), who heads a band of renegade Indians. Also involved in the manhunt are vengeful saloon gal Carolina (Arleen Whelan) and marriage-minded Nora Logan (Barbara Rush), each pursuing her own agenda (just like everyone else in the film!) The film's violent outcome is predicated upon the desultory romance between Lucky Lee and dour Indian maiden Turquoise (Carol Thurston). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Apache Chief was the second film to be lensed with the Garutso Balanced Lens, which gave the illusion of a three-dimensional effect (the first was Deputy Marshal). Alan Curtis plays the title character, a pacifistic Native American named Young Eagle. When his tribesmen begin killing off white settlers, Young Eagle is opposed to the carnage. In order to assure a lasting peace, however, the chief must deal with renegade Apache Black Wolf (Russell Hayden). The white soldier gives Young Eagle six days to bring Black Wolf to justice before they strike back. Produced under the Screen Guild banner, Apache Chief was released by that company's successor, Lippert Films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dissatisfied with his postwar Republic westerns (not to mention his comparatively low salary), Gene Autry switched his base of operations to Columbia in 1947, where he wore two hats as both star and producer. Autry's first Columbia effort, The Last Round-Up, is a vast improvement over the Republics that preceded it. The story finds Autry arranging for an impoverished Indian tribe to move from their desolate reservation to a more fertile and attractive location. Understandably, the Indians doubt Autry's motives, having been previously burned by such usurping crooks as Mr. Mason (Ralph Morgan) and his son Matt (Mark Daniels). Once Autry has convinced the Indians that he's on their side, he must contend with the Masons' murderous minions. In the course of events, Gene Autry sings five songs, several of them directed to pert leading lady Jean Heather. Featured among the Indian characters is little Bobby Blake, a recent graduate of Republic's "Red Ryder" series. Some of the action highlights in The Last Round-Up were lifted from the 1940 Columbia "A" western Arizona. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This adventure, set upon the mighty Mississippi, features two former Tarzans. One of them is a river-boat captain who was shell shocked in the war. The other is an evil trapper. The trouble is caused by their shared affection for a pretty young woman. Their rivalry climaxes as the two wrestle it out in an alligator hole. This was the only film in which one of the Tarzans (Johnny Weismuller) did not play a man from the jungle. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The genesis of The Story of Dr. Wassell is said to have been a story told by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to director Cecil B. DeMille. Gary Cooper stars as Corydon M. Wassell, a real-life country doctor from Arkansas who worked as a medical missionary in China in the years prior to WWII. When America enters the war, Dr. Wassell joins the Navy and is shipped to Java. As the Japanese overtake the island, Wassell is placed in charge of the wounded evacuated marines. Ordered to leave the area immediately, the doctor disobeys his commands, staying behind to care for ten seriously wounded men from the USS Marblehead, even as Japanese bombs rain down upon his staff. With the help of other stranded allied troops, Wassell and his wounded make it to Australia, where despite his insubordination he is lauded as a hero. Not as much of a spectacular as earlier DeMille films, The Story of Dr. Wassell concentrates on personalities, with mixed results. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi